Acceptance
by Gozilla
Summary: What if Trunks was not killed by a random pick of Cell. What if the blow was not aimed at the future fighter after all? An AU story. Please enjoy!


Acceptance  
  
By Gozilla  
  
September 2003  
  
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I would like to thank all of you who read and/or reviewed the story! I am so happy that the story was not a mess (cos' it's my first DB fic) and some of you actually enjoyed the story! Your reviews are my motivation to keep on writing. ^-^  
  
Bejiita-san: Thank you so much for your reviews to my fics! And thanks for all your encouraging reviews. I am working on my third YYH fic. Yes, the sequel to "Dragon of Fire and Ice". Kind of having a writer's block.  
  
I am trying to put some romance element between Hiei and Mukuro (first attempt in romance and not very successful up to this moment) and something between Hiei and the Koorime tribe.  
  
I am sorry that you may have to wait for a little longer as I always try to complete the draft story before posting it (I post the stories by chapters so that I can have more time to review them.). Please bear with me. ^-^  
  
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A/N: I have always imagined that Trunks was not killed by a random pick of Cell. What if the blow was not aimed at the future fighter after all? An AU story... Please bear with my wild imagination. ^-^  
  
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Disclaimer: I don't own anything and I don't have anything. So don't sue me!!  
  
Please excuse my poor English!  
  
Enjoy!  
  
Reviews are welcomed!  
  
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"crap" - conversation  
  
*crap* - thoughts  
  
(crap) - author's note  
  
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Everyone was silent.  
  
Goku was gone, taking the monster Cell with him. The earth was saved but no one had the mood to celebrate the hard-earned victory. The cost was simply too high.  
  
*What have I done?* Trunks thought, his scarred heart broke again at the death of a friend in a timeline which he did not belong, *I shouldn't have come to this timeline. I shouldn't have travelled back here. Cell wouldn't be here if I have never come back. My presence here has only brought even greater danger to this timeline...* as he tightened his fists.  
  
"I am sorry, Gohan." he murmured, his head lowered in regret.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Gohan was caught by surprise by the unexpected apology. In an instant, he realised what was in the youth's mind.  
  
"There is no need to apologise, Trunks-san." he smiled, through the bitterness of losing his father, "You are the one who saved my dad from the fatal heart disease. You have given us the extra three years living with him. Besides, Cell's return is in no way any of your responsibility. I am sure dad is really grateful to you."  
  
Trunks sighed, still couldn't forgive himself for inducing such a great danger to this timeline. Absent-mindedly, he turned to look at his father, who stood with his arms crossed and his face emotionless.  
  
*I have done another stupid thing to make dad feels ashamed of me...* the youth thought as he recalled the year he spent with his father in the Time and Space Chamber...  
  
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~Flashback~  
  
~Inside the Time and Spirit Chamber~  
  
Being hit by a hard elbow blow, Trunks was sent flying towards the mass emptiness before crashing to the floor. He struggled to get on to his feet when he was hit by a powerful ki ball. The explosion crushed him to the floor, creating a huge crater.  
  
Trunks used all his remaining energy to keep himself from falling into unconsciousness, which he learnt over the years of fighting with the androids.  
  
'Falling into unconsciousness in front of your enemy means certain death.'  
  
This statement had saved him from the hand of death of the androids numerous times. But he had never imagined that he would need to recall this statement in front of his own father.  
  
An even more powerful ki ball was unleashed and charged towards the youth. Trunks could barely dodge away from being hit directly by the ki ball, but the wave of explosion threw him meters away from the crater.  
  
Disoriented, he struggled to kneel on the floor, panting heavily.  
  
"An impressive move by a weakling like you." came a cold deep voice.  
  
Vegeta walked towards the battered youth, arms crossed. "I am so ashamed of having a weak son like you. You are no match to me, let alone that ugly Cell. No wonder you would got killed by that ugly creature. You can't even settle the problems created by yourself." he spat and started walking back to the only building in this strange dimension.  
  
*I am ashamed of you...* the words rang inside the youth's mind as he slipped into unconsciousness.  
  
~End of flashback~  
  
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Vegeta turned and met the eyes of the youth. Trunks turned away immediately.  
  
*Why am I looking away?" the youth thought, "Shame? Disappointing father again? I don't know...*  
  
Suddenly, an extremely powerful ki appeared out of nowhere, creating a huge cloud of dust and debris in front of the group.  
  
"It can't be..." Vegeta murmured as he recognised the owner of the ki, shielding his eyes from the dust and debris rushed towards him and the group.  
  
With his eyes used to the dusty air in the future timeline, Trunks was the only who could look at the situation clearly.  
  
Trunks' eyes widened in horror as he saw a hand slowly rose within the cloud of dust, a finger pointing straight at his father.  
  
"Tousan!" Trunks yelled as he rushed at his maximum speed towards the Saiya prince, whose eyes were tightly closed against the dust.  
  
"Nani?" Vegeta said in confusion before he was hit full-force by the youth.  
  
In a split second, a beam of blinding light flashed through the air from the dust cloud.  
  
Vegeta could only watch as the light beam went straight through the chest of the youth, who was in the very same spot where he was standing.  
  
The residual force of the light beam sent the youth flying meters away.  
  
Recovered from the shock, Vegeta rushed to the youth and kneeled beside him. His eyes met with the clouded blue eyes of the youth.  
  
Trunks found himself lying on the cold hard ground, staring at the blurred sky. He couldn't feel anything but pain in his chest. He felt some thick warm liquid started overflowing from his mouth and he had great difficulty breathing.  
  
To his amusement, scenes of his life flashed in front of his eyes in random orders. His mother, his sensei Gohan, the androids, the ruins, the time travel, Goku, the young Bulma, and his father...  
  
*I am so ashamed of you...* the words rang inside his mind again.  
  
A single tear escaped from the youth's blue eyes. "Tousan... please don't be ashamed of me... I always wanted to make you proud..." as he closed his eyes and drew the last painful breath.  
  
"Trunks..." the Saiya prince murmured. "K'SO!!!" he shouted and shot towards Cell, charging up his power beyond the maximum he knew...  
  
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~Two hours later~  
  
~On the platform of Heaven~  
  
All other Z warriors had left, searching for the dragon balls scattered all around the world.  
  
In a quiet corner lied the body of a youth. His face was pale but peaceful. If there wasn't a big nasty hole on his chest, he might be mistaken to be sleeping only. Beside the body, a man sat, as still as a statue, staring at the mountains far away.  
  
*Tousan... please don't be ashamed of me... I always wanted to make you proud...* the last words of the youth lingered Vegeta's mind.  
  
*Do I really feel ashamed of him?* Vegeta thought, asking himself over and over again, *Am I really ashamed of my son?*  
  
Memories of the year spent with his son inside Time and Spirit Chamber flooded back to Vegeta's mind.  
  
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~Flashback~  
  
~Inside the Time and Spirit Chamber~  
  
The strength, the skills, the reflection, the speed, the will, and the determination of the youth man, all these characteristics had amused the Saiya prince. Vegeta could never imagine himself being so strong, both physically and mentally, when he was at the same age of the youth standing in front of him.  
  
Trunks sent a powerful kick to the left side of his father's body. Being caught off guarded, Vegeta raised his left arm to block the attack. Despite using all his ki to protect his arm and his body, the pressure of the youth's kick cracked two of Vegeta's ribs.  
  
Vegeta kneeled to the ground due to the great pain from the broken ribs.  
  
Shocked, Trunks stopped the fight and kneeled beside his father. It was the worst thing he was afraid of since the training started, hurting his father in a fight. That was the reason why he always held back his power in the fights with his father, always letting his father wins.  
  
"Tousan, you alright?" Trunks said as he tried to figure out how serious his father was injured.  
  
Angered by the physical pain and damage to his pride, Vegeta elbowed the youth, hard, sending him flying towards the mass emptiness. The Saiya prince then sent a powerful ki ball towards the youth, virtually crushing him to the floor, creating a large crater.  
  
Unable to control his anger, Vegeta unleashed another even more powerful ki ball at the youth, which he regretted the moment the ki ball left his hand. He knew that the ki ball was too strong for the youth, probably not strong enough to kill him, but enough to keep him on the bed for weeks.  
  
To his amusement, Vegeta saw the battered youth leapt out of the way of the ki ball with lightning speed, avoiding direct impact of the explosion. He watched as the youth rolled away from the explosion.  
  
The Saiya prince rushed to the youth, ignoring the pain from the broken ribs. He was relieved to see the youth was still in one piece, though battered and disoriented.  
  
Impressed by the reflection and skills of his son, "An impressive move by a weakling like you." Vegeta said, pretending the broken ribs had no effect on him and masking his concern of the youth.  
  
"I am so ashamed of having a weak son like you." Vegeta said coldly as he let his arrogance taking over his emotion, "You are no match to me, let alone that ugly Cell. No wonder you would got killed by that ugly creature. You can't even settle the problems created by yourself."  
  
He started walking back to the only building in this strange dimension, expecting the youth to follow him, as usual.  
  
After taking a few dozen steps, he noticed something, Trunks was not following him.  
  
Concerned, he turned and his eyes slightly widened as he saw the youth lying on the ground, unmoving. He rushed to the youth and quickly inspected the wounds on the youth's body.  
  
Vegeta sighed in slight relief to find no major wound on the unconscious youth. Knowing that the youth had no life-threatening injury, he decided to leave and let the youth to take care of himself.  
  
~End of flashback~  
  
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~Meanwhile~  
  
~On the platform of Heaven~  
  
The other Z warriors had gathered all the dragon balls, making their first wish to the gigantic dragon.  
  
Emotionlessly, Vegeta watched as the nasty wound in his son's chest mended and his eyes slowly opened. The bright blue eyes, no longer clouded, slowly came to focus and recognised the one sitting next to him.  
  
"Tousan..." Trunks said as he sat up, confused, "What happened? Did I die? Where is Cell? Are you alright? Did you get away from the light beam on time?"  
  
Vegeta looked at his son, waves of emotion flashed across his black eyes. He then turned his back to the youth.  
  
"I am not ashamed of you. I never will." he said quietly, only audible to his son, before he took off and flied away.  
  
Trunks was surprised by his father's words. He smiled as he realised the meanings behind the two simple sentences - acceptance by his father that he had longed for.  
  
His thought was interrupted as the other Z warriors rushed to the youth greeting his revival...  
  
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The End  
  
I hope you enjoyed the story.  
  
Please feel free to review! Thanks! 


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